The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-01-12
commonplace People.


They were talking about some one. a
stranger in the place, and commenting
upon her personal appearance and man
rers.
"What sort of person is shc9' l
asked.
"Ohl commonplace, entirely So" was
the answer. 'She would not interest
you in the least. You know in these
days, people must be able to do some
teing besides the humdrum things that
used to occupy women, If they want to
attract any attention"
Is that truep silently asked myself.
Have the old-fashioned virtues of our
mothers and grandmothers so faded out
from the background of the life OF to-
day, as to have lost all of their beauty,
80 that one possesses them alone is re-
gardcd only as utterly commonplace
and without attractionsp There was no
installing the tone in which my inquiry
had been answered. and had the SUBJ
ject of remark CHANGED to overhear 1t,
her scnsibilities would have been blunt
indeed, had they not received hurt
which il would have been difficult to
Veal
had heard before of this common
place" woman and was curious to see
her. The family had recently removed
to the place. and into good neighbor-
hood, but she had not responded to the
efforts of those around her ::to have her
enter their social and lterrry life, as
they had felt she ought to do, nor had
she given any reason for the failure.
Her whole time seemed to be absorbed
by her home duties, TO the exclusion of
every other interest.
Later on, my curiosity was granted.
saw small, plainly dressed woman
with nothing 70 mark her from the null
titude. In that sense she was common
place. Nobody would have singled
her out with any expectation of finding
unusual intelligence or wit, nor would
they have expected anything out of the
common order in any way. She was
exceedingly retcent and quiet in her
manner, volunteering fewremarks, and
chose never including anything belong
ing to her own personality | soon
found that the key to some Of her I'M
popularity lay in the fact that she never
entered into discussion of her family
matters in the slightest particular
The time came when learned some
ding Of the inner life Of this common
place" woman She had an invalid
mother, almost helpless, and a sister
who was halt-crazed by n sudden shock
and great grief, and these two. in addi-
don to the care Of her family. She
watched and iehIedafay and night. with
tenderness that was never abated.
Few know, or ever learned, what the
physical and mental tax upon her was,
Tor she never complained, and sort of
sweet loyalty to her unfortunate sister
made her shield her fro the public as
much as possible. Hal wealth been
hers. life oven under these Affections
might have been made much easier but
her husband did only moderate bust
ness. which demanded economy in or
Ter TO educate their children and make
both ends meet.
OF course, / did not learn ell these
facts at once; but when did, and
watched her as she went on her self
sacrificing way. saw how she crushed
down her longings for much which en-
tered into the lives of other women,
smothered her desire for beautiful
things until she had almost forgotten
10 wish for them, J wondered whcthor
they who see not with mortal eyes
looked upon her as commonplace"
Many women. who would be counted
as commonplace" live lives that are
more heroic in their courage and self
abnegation in their devotion TO duty
while keeping fast hold of the door
that shuts in their youthful hopes and
aspirations all unfulflled. and all clam
oring for satisfaction, holding them
back with unrelentng hand, though
seeing the years sllpp ng away forever
into the past-than. many of those re-
nowned in song and story. II often
takes more courage TO live true to the
homely tnt es OF everyday existence,